


He Dreamed of Paradise

by thearchangelofsass



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Fluffy Ending, M/M, Winter Olympics AU, figureskater!Lance, snowboarder!Keith
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-25
Updated: 2018-02-25
Packaged: 2019-03-23 15:24:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,790
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13790562
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thearchangelofsass/pseuds/thearchangelofsass
Summary: Keith’s always 100% focused on competition, wanting to be the best of the best, and this Olympics is absolutely no exception. Lance is also looking to prove himself at the Olympics. After a heartbreaking last four years since Sochi, he’s ready to show the world who he is through his skating. After a chance meeting, Keith and Lance immediately form a connection. But between competition pressure, endless interviews, and terrible advice, will their relationship ever blossom into something more?orthe klance winter olympics au nobody was asking for





	He Dreamed of Paradise

**Author's Note:**

> Notes: In this au, Keith, Matt, and Shiro compete for Team Canada. Keith and Matt are snowboarders and Shiro does luge. Pidge, Hunk, Lance, and Allura compete for Team USA. Hunk is a curler and Allura plays on the women’s hockey team. Pidge is a speed skater and Lance is a figure skater. Coran is Lance’s figure skating coach and Allura’s uncle. 
> 
> P.S. Shiro and Keith are siblings in this au, but Keith took their mom’s last name and Shiro took their dad’s last name so that’s why they still have different last names.
> 
> Disclaimer: I did some research to try to make the details of the Olympic village, competition etc. as accurate as possible but this is purely self indulgent so apologies in advance if any of the terminology or descriptions are inaccurate.

 

            Lance has been all caught up in the media hype of the Olympics for months now, what with filming all kinds of promos and cheesy videos for NBC. But it doesn’t fully hit him that he’s an Olympic Athlete until he and Hunk get to their room in the Olympic Village.

            “Dude this bed is so comfortable!” Hunk exclaims as he throws himself onto a red and orange quilt comforter embroidered with the Olympic rings. “You’ve gotta try it!”

            “We’re in South Korea, Hunk.” Lance blinks in disbelief as he stands in the doorway, surveying the room.“We made it.”

            “Barely,” a voice floats in from the hall. “That plane ride was like the worst fifteen hours of my life.”

            “Pidge!” Lance exclaims. He hasn’t seen Pidge since she started training in Toronto and quickly picks her up into a hug, begrudgingly putting her down when she starts kicking and complaining. “Great to see you too.”

            “Hey, Hunk!” Pidge calls. Hunk forces himself up off his bed so he can embrace his friend. “I don’t know if I mentioned it, but Shiro and Matt loved the protein bars you sent last week.”

            “Really? Awesome!” Hunk can’t help but grin in satisfaction. He’d been trying a new recipe leading up to the Olympics and is pleased to receive the critical acclaim.

            “Are Shiro and Matt here yet?” Lance asks.

            “I don’t know. I gotta text them,” Pidge says. “We took separate flights to Pyeongchang.”

            “I still don’t understand how they both compete for Team Canada,” Lance says with a sigh. “U.S.A. All the way, baby!” Hunk whoops in approval while Pidge rolls her eyes.

            “Don’t ask me,” Pidge replies. “He just ‘fell in love’ with the country, as he says. I’m sure having Shiro as a strong support system helped.”

            “Speaking of Shiro, am I finally gonna get to meet him this Olympics?” Lance asks. Pidge nods, and Lance pumps his fist victoriously. Takashi Shirogane, back to back gold medalist in men’s luge, who continued to compete even after a tragic car accident where he lost most of his right arm, and one of the most decorated winter Olympians of all time, has been one of Lance’s heroes since he was a kid. And more recently, thanks to Pidge, they’ve become mutuals on twitter.

            “Dude you have all Olympics to meet Shiro,” Hunk says. “What about this cafeteria situation? I _really_ wanna try some of the Korean food they have.”

            “I’m down,” Pidge says, not looking up from her phone as she types out a message. “I walked around a bit and I also saw a beauty salon and foosball tables so there’s a lot to do.” Lance immediately perks up.

            “Beauty salon, huh?”

            “Mhm.” Pidge nods. “I saw Allura and a few of the other hockey girls getting their nails done in red, white, and blue.”

            “Now I have _got_ to get in on that action!” Lance exclaims.

            “It’ll have to wait,” Pidge replies as her phone dings. “Matt and Shiro just got to Canada house.”

            “Let’s go then!” Hunk exclaims. “I want the full review on my protein bars in person.”

 

…

 

_“So Mike, what are some Team USA stories to watch out for at this Olympics?”_

 

_“We have a lot of teen talent at the Olympics this year! And a lot of it is out of California! First we have Katie Holt, Team USA’s youngest competitor at just 15 years of age! After emerging onto the speed skating scene a little less than a year ago, people will certainly have their eye on her as she looks to go head to head with some of the top skaters from the host country, South Korea.”_

_/pictures of Pidge and Matt as little kids with cake all over their faces at a birthday party flash across the screen/_

_“And that’s Katie with her older brother Matt, who is actually competing for Team Canada this Olympics in snowboarding. Good luck to them both! Another amazing teen on Team USA is Hunk Garret, who turned 18 fairly recently. He’s the youngest ever Olympic curler to compete for Team USA, and when he’s not tearing it up on the ice, he’s tearing it up in the kitchen.”_

 

_/pictures of Hunk in a chef’s outfit and of him cooking flash across the screen/_

_“You might recognize Hunk from a season of Masterchef junior a few years back. Hunk’s passion for food and cooking, he says, is only matched by his love for his sport. He’ll be an exciting and fun competitor to watch here at these games!”_

_/the Olympics logo flashes briefly on screen/_

_“And now last, but certainly not least, is perhaps one of the most moving stories from Team USA. Lance Mcclain, eighteen, exploded onto the junior skating scene several years ago and quickly racked up wins in international competition. He actually qualified for the Olympics in Sochi, but was deemed to young to compete. And just a season after, he suffered a devastating foot injury at the China Cup as he debuted in the senior division. It was unclear if or when Mcclain would return to competition, but after a stunning performance at the US national championships, he was able to qualify for this year’s Olympics in Pyeongchang.”_

_/photos taken from Lance’s Instagram of him and Hunk traveling to Korea flash across the screen/_

_“It’s taken so much for Lance to actually come and compete at this games and it’s incredible to see him back in competition. We can’t wait to see him dazzle with his artistic skating in the team and individual events! We’ll be back with more Team USA stories as the pre-opening ceremony show continues here on NBC.”_

 

…

 

            “It’s so cool that Canada house is also the pride house this year.” Lance says as he sees the already much instagrammed sign with its bold, black lettering as they enter Canda house. ‘ _This is your house no matter who you are or where you come from’_ fills Lance with an overwhelming warm feeling as he enters the space. He’s here, he’s really here in the Olympic village, and most importantly, he feels like he deserves it. He forces Pidge to take a picture of him next to the sign, which she does without complaint. She knows how difficult the last couple of years have been for Lance. What with his injury, and also coming out to his parents. It might seem like another silly photo for Lance’s immensely popular Instagram, but she knows how much it means to him. She takes a burst of photos, including a one where Hunk is squatting and making prayer hands in the background.

            “Come on,” Pidge says when she’s taken enough photos to fill all of Lance’s storage and then some. “Matt said they’re in some kind of common area that should be just up ahead.” They only walk a few steps forward before a tall, skinny mass comes careening towards them.

            “Pidge!” Matt doesn’t give his sister any time to respond before scooping her up into a hug. “I missed you soooo much!”

            “Put me down!” Pidge shrieks. “Lance already did this to me!” But she’s grinning and everyone can see.

            “I taught Lance well, then,” Matt says. “It’s great to see you guys!” He exchanges a bro hug with Lance and a fist bump with Hunk. “Shiro’s chilling on a couch in the next room. Come on in.” Matt leads them further into Canada house and they enter a room with a kitchenette set up and a nice seating area.

            “Hey Shiro!” Pidge calls. “These are my friends Lance and Hunk.” Shiro smiles and waves.

            “Nice to meet you both!” He gets up and crosses the room so he can shake hands with both Lance and Hunk.

            “Lance is @lanceylance on twitter, by the way,” Pidge says smugly.

            “Did you just say the at symbol out loud?” Matt asks.

            “Pidge I know who Lance is,” Shiro replies. “I watched the live stream of his performance at US nationals.”

            “Really?” It takes all of Lance’s self-control to not start jumping up and down right there and then.

            “I know nothing about figure skating but it looked _amazing_ ,” Shiro says. “And I loved the song choice.”

            “Thanks, man.” Lance grins. _I’ve been at the Olympics for less than a day and Takashi Shirogane just complimented my skating? Dreams really do come true._

            “Shiro where did you put my hand warmers?” A voice asks from behind Lance. “I know they were on my pillow when Matt and I left to grab food earlier, and now they’re gone.”

            “Relax,” Shiro replies. “I took one, and put the rest in the top drawer of the desk thing next to your bed.”

            “You took one?! You couldn’t have just asked?!”

            Shiro chuckles softly. “Lance,” he says. “Meet my younger brother, Keith.”

            Lance turns around and he feels his heart flip like when he does an opening quad at a competition. Keith’s eyes are a sparkling violet and there’s something about his smile that that Lance can’t get enough of, even after less than a minute of seeing it. Being the smooth charmer that he is, Lance decides to open with his classic line.

            “The name’s Lance,” he says, extending his hand.

            “I know,” Keith replies. “Shiro just said your name.” Lance promptly wants to curl up into a ball and die as he hears Matt snicker behind him, but Keith shakes his hand and Lance is jerked out of his pity party.

            “Dude your hands are freezing!” Lance exclaims.

            “I know,” Keith says. “ _Somebody_ hid my hand warmers so I’ve been having a rough time.”

            “Keith I just told you where they are!” Shiro lets out an exasperated huff. “I just wanted to keep the room tidy.” Matt puts a consoling hand on Shiro’s shoulder.

            “Fine, fine I’m getting them!” Keith retorts. He looks uncertainly between Shiro and Lance for a moment until Shiro gives him a nod of encouragement. “Lance, you wanna come with me?”

            Lance is too stunned to respond for a moment.

            “I could uhh show you the rest of Canada house?” Keith continues eloquently.

            “I’d like that.” Lance says, his mind finally returning from cloud nine. As they walk away from the common area together, Hunk and Pidge exchange looks and Matt slaps Shiro on the shoulder before returning to the group conversation. _I’m the best older brother ever,_ Shiro thinks as the pair disappears from view.

 

…

 

            “So do you compete in Luge like your brother?” Lance asks as they walk down a series of red and white hallways.

            “No. I don’t have a death wish.” Keith replies. Lance bursts out laughing and Keith feels a little bit of warmth in his cheeks. “I’m a snowboarder.” Lance racks his brain for snowboarding terms.

            “So do you do half pipe? Or… other events?”

            “Half pipe is my specialty, but I’ll probably compete in big air and slope style too.” Keith replies. Lance nods as if he knows exactly what all of those words mean. “I’m guessing you’re not a snowboarder yourself.”

            “You would be correct, Keith,” Lance says. “I’m a figure skater. I’m doing the team and individual events this year.” Lance is prepared to receive any of the well-intentioned but slightly judgmental comments he’s gotten about his sport over the years, but Keith is nothing but enthusiasm and awe.

            “How do you do it?” Keith asks. “Like all of those jumps and triple toe things or whatever they’re called? That’s insane! You hit the ice with a force that’s so much greater than your body weight!”

            “Yeah jumps can be tough, Mr. physics.” Lance chuckles as Keith makes an offended face.

            “Hey I thought I was gonna be an astronaut when I grew up. Sue me.”

            “Dude me too!” Lance exclaims, surprised by this revelation about ‘cuter by the minute’ Keith. “You know those promo things they make us film for NBC or whatever? I was looking for some old home movies to send them and there’s one where I say when I grow up I’m gonna be the next Yuna Kim or an astronaut.”

            “Yuna Kim?”

            “Hey that woman is a Queen!” Lance declares. “And to be fair, my older brother Alejandro is an engineer at NASA.”

            “Ok now that’s cool.” Keith says. “You think you’ll ever work there? After skating, that is?”

            “I don’t know, man,” Lance says, shaking his head. “Like I just turned eighteen a couple of months ago. I don’t know what I’m gonna do with the rest of my life. And skating is kind of the only thing I’ve ever really known.

            “Hey it’s the same for me with snowboarding,” Keith replies. He gives Lance’s arm a quick squeeze, which surprises himself. Keith’s never this touchy feely or comfortable with people he doesn’t know that well. Why is Lance so different?

            “Thanks.” Lance says with a smile.

            “Don’t mention it,” Keith replies, hoping that the growing heat in his cheeks isn’t too obvious.

 

…

 

Lance doesn’t realize how long he and Keith have been sitting in Keith’s room and talking until he receives a series of texts in all caps from Pidge.

 

**New message from Pidgeon**

            WE’RE HEADING BACK TO US HOUSE

**New message from Pidgeon**

            OR THE CAFETERIA WE HAVEN’T DECIDED

**New message from Pidgeon**

            HURRY UP L A N C E

 

            “I’ve awakened the little green monster.” Lance says with a sigh. Keith makes the most confused face Lance has ever seen and it takes all he has to not laugh. “Pidge wants to leave with Hunk ASAP. I think she’s hangry.” Keith nods with understanding.

            “I’ll walk you back to the common room.”

They don’t talk much on the way back, but it’s not an awkward silence. It’s a thinking silence. There’s something so effortless about being with Keith, whether they’re talking or not talking, and this is new for Lance. It’s not like he’s really had the opportunity to date or even think about dating, what with training 24/7. But now, maybe, Keith’s got him thinking about it. At the very least, he’d like to see Keith again. Even if it’s just to hang out in a group. He’s about to ask for Keith’s phone number when they tragically arrive back at the seating area where they were before.

            “There you are!” Hunk exclaims. “Allura just texted me and said the line for bibimbap in the cafeteria has gone down, so we _need_ to get there right now.”

            “Alright, alright,” Lance replies. “It was great meeting everyone! And good to see you Matt.” Matt nods as the trio begins to walk out of Canada House. Lance gives Keith one last backwards glance before leaving with his friends in search of food.

            “Keith.” Shiro and Matt fix Keith with looks until the younger boy finally cracks.

            “Shut up,” Keith mutters, his cheeks turning pink.

            “You and Lance really hit it off,” Matt remarks. “Dare I spy an Olympic love story in our midst?”

            “He is really nice,” Keith admits. “And funny. And cute. But I don’t know about dating.”

            Matt groans and Shiro makes an incredulous face.

            “You just talked and flirted with the guy for like an hour when I’ve never seen you like that with anyone,” Shiro says. “And I know you better than anyone, Keith.”

            “I didn’t need to major in bio-chem to see that you two have chemistry,” Matt concurs.

            “It’s not that I don’t like Lance,” Keith back pedals. “But I’ve…never really had any experience dating.”

            “Of course not!” Shiro exclaims. “You just turned eighteen! And as your stand-in, overbearing Asian mom, I told you no dating until college.”

            “I turned eighteen in October.” Keith says, grabbing a pillow from the nearest couch and throwing it at Shiro. “And I’m texting mom and telling her you said that!”

            “You snitch!” Shiro grabs the pillow Keith threw off of the floor and lobs it back at his brother.

            “Guys, guys let’s calm down,” Matt says. “No fighting at the Olympics.” A pillow hits him in the face. “Oh fuck you, Keith.”

            Keith just smiles and Shiro gives him an air high-five from his position on the couch.

            “In all seriousness, Keith,” Matt continues. “So what if you’ve never dated? Even from that brief interaction, it’s clear you’re into Lance and he’s into you. Why not go for it?”

            “I don’t know,” Keith says, looking down at his shoes. “I feel like I should just focus on competing.”

            “Dude, have you been on tinder at the Olympics?” Matt smirks. “I can assure you nobody is just ‘focusing on competing.’”

            “Matt my baby brother is _not_ getting a Tinder this is _not_ a debate!” Shiro shouts.

            “Returning to my original point,” Matt says, ignoring Shiro’s outburst. “Yes the competition is important Keith, but so are the friendships and bonds you’re going to form over the next couple of weeks. Part of how I became friends with you was competing against you in competitions until we ended up on the same team.”

            Keith has to admit Matt has a point.

            “So why not take a chance with Lance?” Matt smiles. “Hey that rhymes!” Even Shiro can’t help but let out a snort.

            “Some of what Matt said wasn’t total crap.” Shiro acknowledges. “And even if you don’t want to necessarily date Lance, you should at least get to know him. He’s a good kid.”

            “Watch him compete!” Matt says. “Nothing is more motivating than your crush cheering you on at the Olympics! And he’s an incredible figure skater.”

            Keith doubts that Lance has a crush’on him after only meeting him a few hours prior, but maybe Matt and Shiro are right. _Didn’t Lance mention competing in the team event,_ Keith thinks. _I know Tessa and Scott and other people are competing too, so it wouldn’t be that weird if I came and watched_.

            “Shiro, you wouldn’t happen to know how I can get a ticket to see the first part of the team event for skating?”

            Shiro grins. “I never thought you’d ask.”

           

…

 

_“Now Takashi Shirogane from Team Canada is expected to go head to head with Team USA’s Chris Mazder in men’s luge, coming up later in the week. In addition to the much anticipated showdown between the Canadian and American women’s ice hockey teams, the US and Canada are also expected to be fierce competitors in the snowboarding competitions. We’ve got some great talent this year obviously with Shaun White looking to defend his Olympic title. But we’ve also got two upstarts from Canada, looking to make their mark. Keith Kogane and Matthew Holt, longtime friends, both came close to beating Shaun at the X-games and have been racking up titles at competitions since debuting on the international stage. It should be quite the rivalry between Team Canada and Team USA at these Winter Olympic Games.”_

_“Catch more Olympic athlete profiles during our Olympic Zone show right before primetime coverage, everyday at 7est/4pst. Now back to you, Mike.”_

…

           

             The Gangneung Ice Arena is even bigger than Keith had thought. It’s hard to not be overwhelmed, with all of the flying flags, energy, and cheering from the crowd. He can’t imagine having to perform under this kind of pressure until the voice in the back of his head helpfully reminds him that he will be competing under similar conditions soon enough. Keith can’t help but gulp.

             “You doing alright?” Shiro asks and Keith nods stiffly. Shiro had gotten Keith tickets to the event, but only after insisting that he and Matt come along. Now, Keith is grateful for the moral support as the next group of skaters heads out onto the ice to warm up.

             “I think Lance is in this group,” Matt says. “So he should be performing soon.” Keith scans the ice, looking for a familiar mop of brown hair and iridescent blue eyes. Shiro’s tickets, although dubiously acquired, were incredibly close to the ice, to the point that Keith could make out the individual sequins on some of the costumes. Someone in dark blue pants and the most sheer, bedazzled top Keith has ever seen steps onto the ice and he has to suck in a deep breath when he realizes that the person is Lance. Lance’s top is so many shades of sparkling blue and hugs tightly to his body in a way that should be criminal. Keith is transfixed by everything about the outfit, from the form and fit, to how comfortable and confident Lance looks. Lance actually manages to spot them and waves at Keith for a moment before returning to practicing jumps and spins.

            “You’re blushing,” Shiro remarks as Keith belatedly waves back.

            “Shut up, Shiro,” Keith replies, with not a hint of malice in his voice. “Just watch the figure skating.”

…

 

_“Now competing in this next group from Team USA is non other than the wonderboy himself, Lance Mcclain!”_

_“That’s right, Terry! As mentioned before, Lance had a bad foot injury in his season after Sochi, and actually broke his ankle in the months leading up to the national championship last year. He recovered though, and managed to earn the US Champion title, something we wouldn’t necessarily have expected after his break from competition.”_

_“Absolutely, and the great thing about Lance is that he has so much fun with his skating. I think after his injury, he really needed to take time to reflect and think about what skating means to him and we’ve definitely seen that signature fire and passion in his performances leading up to this Olympics.”_

_“Now Lance is truly known for his quads. Despite his young age, he’s an absolute jumping powerhouse. I was talking with his coach,_ Coran Wimbledon-Smythe, _earlier and he said that Lance isn’t going to be taking huge risks in this team event. He’s just getting familiar with Olympic ice and then maybe in the individual competition we’ll see him land those mystical five quads that everyone’s been speculating about. It’ll certainly be exciting to see him using those quads to go head to head with top men’s skaters like Yuzuru Hanyu.”_

_“Now the men’s individual event will be coming up later in the games, but up next, the men’s short program for the team event, with Lance Mcclain for Team USA!”_

…

 

            “Representing the United States of America, Lance Mcclain.”

            Keith cheers as loud as he can as Lance glides onto the ice. Lance surely must have some nerves, but the other boy exudes such effortless calm as he sets up in his starting position.

            “Do you know what music he’s skating to?” Keith asks. By now he trusts Matt and Shiro’s superior knowledge on all things Lance.

            “You’ll like it,” Shiro says, not really answering Keith’s question. Keith just rolls his eyes. The whole arena seems to hold its collective breath for a moment before the opening notes of the song play and Lance bursts into expressive motion.

            “No way,” Keith breathes, a grin forming on his face. As the beat picks up and Lance covers more distance across the ice, Keith is sure he knows the song from Shiro’s obnoxious shower playlist. But when Lance is skating to it, there’s a vibrancy and playfulness to it that enraptures Keith. And the audience is loving it too as Lance soaks up the music and feels it with entire body. He skates the length of the rink, picking up speed and landing a complicated looking jump just as the beat drops and Sia begins to sing “I’m free to be the greatest, I’m alive!” and the crowd goes nuts, filling the arena with a roar of approval as Lance continues to skate.

            “Enjoying it?” Shiro asks, trying his best to not say ‘I told you so’.

            “He’s beautiful,” Keith whispers, his eyes never leaving Lance. Lance lands two jumps back to back and Keith shouts his approval, pumping his fist in the air. When the program finally comes to close, Lance makes one last sit spin before coming up into a dramatic position, pointing into the audience. Keith is so caught up in cheering and applauding for Lance that it takes him a second to realize Lance is pointing directly at _him_. Keith gulps and manages to wave as Lance flashes him a dazzling smile.

            “From the United States of America, Lance Mcclain.”

            Lance takes several bows to all sides of the arena before skating off of the ice and into the arms of his ecstatic coach.

            “What’d you think?” Matt asks as Lance makes his way over to the kiss and cry.

            “That was unlike anything I’ve ever seen,” Keith says. “That was incredible! He’s incredible!”

            Matt just smiles as Keith continues to ramble on about the program. There’s something about Lance that softens Keith’s face and makes Keith more talkative, and Matt’s so happy to see his friend seem so energetic and not singularly focused on snowboarding.

            “The scores please.”

            “Shh shhh they’re about to give Lance’s score!” Matt exclaims.

            “Lance Mcclain has earned in the short program, 94.66. He is currently in first place.”

            The arena erupts into cheers and there is a lot of vigorous waving of American flags as Lance and his coach embrace once again.

            “He’s in first, Shiro! That’s amazing!” Keith exclaims. He then feels bad because Lance just knocked Keith’s teammate Patrick out of first place, but Keith decides to not care. He obviously loves Team Canada, but no one can deny that Lance’s performance was spectacular.

 

…

_“And what an incredible Olympic debut by Lance Mcclain! Just moments ago, NBC’s Andrea Joyce caught up with him about his dazzling short program performance.”_

_/the Olympics logo flashes on screen and fades to Lance standing against a wall in the Gangneung ice arena, a woman with a microphone standing next to him/_

_“What an amazing performance Lance! Now you’re just eighteen, this is your Olympic debut. What was it like being on the ice and what emotions were running through your head as you skated?”_

_“Honestly I was just trying to have fun with it. I know I’ll never get another chance to have my first skate at the Olympics, so I just tried to enjoy myself, and enjoy the music and I hope the audience enjoyed it too.”_

_“Now, after not being allowed to compete in Sochi because of your age and then all of those injuries you had to face over the past few years, how much does it mean to you to just be here at the Olympics?”_

_“You know Andrea, it means everything to me. I honestly didn’t know if I would ever make it here, to this ice. That’s kinda what my short program is about. Sia’s song is all about not giving up and appreciating being alive and being able to make your mark. That’s what I wanted to do here and that’s what I delivered.”_

_“And that was Team USA’s Lance Mcclain, who is currently in first place in the men’s short program in the team event. Thanks for talking with me, Lance.”_

_“Thank you!”_

…

 

            The night ends with Lance in second place after a jaw dropping performance by Japanese skater Shoma Uno, but Keith will maintain that Lance was robbed to anyone that will listen, never mind that it’s only the team event.

            “He was just so artistic!” Keith proclaims. “And he did a ton of those loop quad thingies.”

            “I’d really love to hear you try and commentate on figure skating,” Matt quips. “Like I’d actually pay good money.”

            “If you think Lance did really well, why don’t you tell him that?” Shiro asks. Keith stares at his brother like he’s grown two heads.

            “You want me to just go over to the US House and tell him?”

            Shiro sighs. “Just text him.”

            “I don’t have his number,” Keith replies.

            “Give me two seconds,” Matt says, whipping his phone out of his jeans pocket. “Boom. Check your phone.”

            Keith frowns but unzips his jacket pocket and pulls out his phone.

 

            **New message from Matt Holt**

Contact: Lance Mcclain

 

            “You’re welcome.” Matt smirks as Keith looks up in disbelief.

            “Isn’t it creepy to get his number from you and then text him out of the blue?” Keith asks. “I feel like that’s…weird.”

            “It’s not weird and it’s not out of the blue,” Matt replies. “Just text him!” Keith looks to his brother for back up.

            “As much as I hate to admit it,” Shiro says. “I think Matt has a point.”

            “Hey!” Matt crosses his arms.

            “Again, I’m not trying to pressure you at all, Keith,” Shiro continues. “I just think getting to know Lance could be good for you. And I know he’ll appreciate hearing from you.”

            “Okay,” Keith says softly. “I’ll do it.”

            “Hey,” Matt says. “You do insane flips and tricks dozens of feet in the air on a regular basis. Texting a cute boy should be easy.”

            Keith rolls his eyes, but adds Lance to his contacts, types out a quick message, and sends it.

            “Done.” Keith can’t help but smile as Matt slaps him on the back and Shiro ruffles his hair. “Now can we get back to the house? I’m exhausted.”

 

…

 

            As Lance exits the arena, he’s immediately accosted by Pidge and Hunk, who envelope him in a warm group hug.

            “Lance you were so good!” Hunk exclaims. “Your jumps going with the music was just—I have no words.”

            “He actually started crying at the end.” Pidge smiles. “I guess you were alright.”

            “Thanks guys,” Lance says. “I thought I was gonna pass out on the ice, to be honest.”

            “Well you didn’t so, bonus,” Pidge says, giving Lance another quick hug. “Also, you’re trending on twitter.”

            “What?!” Lance immediately grabs for his phone but it won’t turn on. “Of course, the one time my phone dies on me.” Pidge shakes her head, and pulls up twitter on her phone for Lance.

            “There are a lot of gifs of your interview with Andrea captioned with crying emojis.” Pidge remarks. Lance nods, totally in awe. Of course he’s had media attention before, but this is on an entirely new level.

            “I’m gonna gain so many followers after this,” Lance whispers and Pidge and Hunk burst out laughing.

            “Of course you deliver the Olympic performance of a lifetime and that’s what you’re thinking about,” Pidge says with faux exasperation.

            “Hey I still have more events,” Lance counters. “I’ll live in the moment later.” He pauses. “You guys didn’t see Keith by any chance, did you?”

            “Nope,” Hunk replies. “Matt told Pidge and I that he was coming to the event with Shiro and Keith, but we didn’t see them.”

            “Why do you ask?” Pidge has a down right conspiratorial look on her face and Lance feels like he should be afraid.

            “I saw him in the crowd,” Lance says. “Right as I was warming up.”

            “Wait a second…” Hunk’s eyes widen. “Were you pointing to _him_ at the end of your program?” Lance feels heat rising in his cheeks.

            “Well it wasn’t really intentional like it was kind of an accid—”

            “That’s adorable!” Hunk exclaims.

            “You’ve got it bad, Lance,” Pidge says smugly. Lance hangs his head.

            “I do.”

            “Hey at least you’re admitting it,” Hunk says, patting Lance on the shoulder. “Come on, let’s get back to the village. I saved you some of those jelly cubes you like from the cafeteria.”

            “This is why you’re a true friend, Hunk!” Lance exclaims. “Let’s go!”

 

…

 

            After getting back and munching on Hunk’s jelly stockpile, Lance is well and truly exhausted. He’s thankful to all the powers that be that he doesn’t have an event tomorrow. At this point, he’ll be lucky if he can take a shower and make it back to his room without falling asleep somewhere in between. Hunk is already passed out and snoring peacefully, so Lance takes care to quietly gather his toiletries. He gets distracted, however, as his phone screen lights up as it begins to restart.

            “Finally,” Lance mutters. He’d plugged in his phone as soon as they’d gotten back to the house and it had taken it this long to reboot. Lance wonders what it would take to get a sponsorship from apple as he types in his passcode. At first he’s tempted to check all of the notifications pouring in from twitter, but Lance knows he’ll never reach the shower if he does that. He does text the family group chat (currently flooded with celebratory emojis by his older sister) and thanks them for all of their support and congratulations. He also notices a new message from an unknown number that he opens out of curiosity. And his heart does a flip in his chest again.

 

            **New message from +1 250-664-7042**

Hey it’s Keith. Congrats on the short program! You were amazing.

 

Lance can’t help the smile the spreads across his face. He creates a new contact and quickly types out a response.

 

            **New message to Keith**

            Ahh sorry I just got this my phone died. Thank you!!

           

            **New message to Keith**

I feel like I could have done better, but second is alright I guess.

 

Lance regrets the second message as soon as he sends it. He’s trying to impress Keith here, and he’s basically doing the exact opposite of that. Then a new notification comes in.

 

            **New message from Keith**

You were robbed! And second in your Olympic debut is awesome!

 

Lance covers his mouth with his hand.

 

            **New message to Keith**

Thanks man. I appreciate it.

 

He debates adding a heart emoji to the end of that text for a moment before deciding against it. Lance frowns.

 

            **New message to Keith**

Don’t you have an event tomorrow? Why are you still awake?

 

Keith’s response is lightning fast.

 

            **New message from Keith**

Yeah I have the slopestyle qualifiers but that’s in the afternoon.

            **New message from Keith**

I’ll be fine.

 

Lance shakes his head.

 

            **New message to Keith**

GO TO SLEEP

 

            **New message to Keith**

Please?

 

            **New message to Keith**

For me?

 

Lance cringes upon re-reading that last message but it’s too late, already sent off into the void of the internet.

 

**New message from Keith**

FINE

 

**New message from Keith**

Just for you

 

**New message from Keith**

Good night, Lance

 

Lance sucks in a breath, taking in the weight of Keith’s words.

 

**New message to Keith**

Sweet dreams

 

Lance puts down his phone, internally screaming. He wants nothing more than to wake up Hunk and Pidge and tell them everything that just happened. _Keith thinks I’m amazing,_ Lance thinks. He wants to scream it from the rooftops. But he’d love to not be yelled at by Hunk. Also, he still needs to shower. Lance lets out a groan. Keith got his number. Keith texted him! Now Lance needs to step it up. Going against his previous promise to himself, he opens up twitter and starts typing.

 

**New message to @takashishirogane**

Hey, Shiro. You don’t happen to have an extra ticket to Keith’s qualifier tomorrow?

 

It seems that both brothers are up at this ungodly hour as a little check mark appears under Lance’s message.

 

**New message from @takashishirogane**

I do! I can stop by the US house and give it to you tomorrow morning

: )

 

Lance pumps his fist in triumph.

 

**New message to @takashishirogane**

                        Thanks so much Shiro!

 

And with that Lance finally turns off his phone, and proceeds to the communal bathroom, a massive grin on his face.   

 

…

 

                    Lance feels so out of place in the crowds at the bottom of the slopestyle course. He manages to get near the front of the barrier by traveling in a pack with some other people wearing Team USA jackets, but they aren’t people he really knows and can talk to. Lance sighs and scans the masses of people around him, trying to spot a familiar face.

                    “How’s it going, Lance?” Shiro asks as he emerges from behind a large group of people waving French flags.

                     “Okay,” Lance replies. “I just got here cause I had training.”

                     Shiro nods sympathetically. “I know the feeling. I’m just about to leave for a practice run on the track.”

                     “Oh,” Lance says, realizing he’ll be on his own again soon enough. “Any advice for watching slopestyle for someone who knows nothing about snowboarding?”

                     “Cheer loudly for Keith,” Shiro replies. “Did you catch the end of the run he just did?”

                     “Hell yeah!” Lance nods emphatically. “It was like he was _flying_ Shiro it was incredible!”

                      “Tell him that, then,” Shiro replies. “See you later, Lance.”

                      “See ya.”

                      Lance takes an obscene number of selfies and checks up on the other events via twitter for a seemingly endless period of time before Keith’s name is back up on the LED board. Lance looks up to see the now familiar silhouette with the number 15 bib at the top of the course. As Keith’s run starts, the crowd is quiet and anticipating. Keith does a series of rail tricks and switches that look incredibly impressive to Lance, although he doesn’t know the first thing about snowboarding. But when Keith gets to the jumps, the Canadians in the crowd go nuts and Lance finds himself cheering along with them as Keith seems to float up to touch the clouds before spinning, twisting, and switching direction dizzyingly in mid air before landing again on the surface of the mountain. Soon it’s the final jump and Lance can’t help but hold his breath as Keith seems to hang in the air for an eternity before spinning and spinning and going down. As Keith’s board connects with the mountain again, Lance can already tell something’s wrong as Keith is still turning as he touches down. And then he is falling and sliding as the crowd watches helplessly

                        “Keith!” Lance screams, but his words are lost in the wind.

…

 

_“And a rough landing by Keith Kogane of Team Canada.”_

_/slow motion replay of Keith hitting the ground onto his back and sliding down the rest of the course flashes across the screen/_

_“You see he comes up, grabs the nose of his board, and you see his shoulder dip under once, twice, three times. But he just doesn’t have the height to switch his stance at the end. You see he tries to switch it, but his board just bounces off the snow and he goes down. Kogane will look to his third and final run to see if he can lock down his qualifying spot. More still to come from Phoenix Snow Park.”_

…

 

            Keith barely has the energy to take off his board off his feet, and is happy that his helmet and goggles cover his face enough that no one can see his cheeks flaming. Of course it sucks to fuck up royally on international television, but honestly, Keith is just so physically sore, he doesn’t know if he can pull through in his third run. 10th place could still get him into the next round, but with the level of talent people are bringing, Keith can easily see other boarders knocking him out of the top twelve and out of a shot at an Olympic medal. Keith blinks back the tears starting to form in his eyes. He’d told Shiro that he could hold up to Olympic pressure. That it would be “Just like the X Games, but a little bigger.” But actually being on that rail section, actually seeing the Pyeongchang 2018 signs everywhere as he waits for his run, wearing an Olympic bib? It’s a lot to process, and Keith can’t afford to feel overwhelmed right now. He’s spent too many mornings getting up at the crack of dawn, conditioning, riding, even getting into those gross protein shakes that Shiro makes. This is supposed to be his moment, not his meltdown.

            “Keith! Keith!” A voice shouts from the crowd, breaking Keith out of his thought spiral. After a moment he spots Lance in a puffy white Team USA jacket, right up against the red barrier.

            “Hey!” Keith says, trying to play it cool and not being even remotely successful. “What are you doing here?”

            “To watch you compete, obviously,” Lance replies. Lance makes finger guns and Keith can’t help but smile at the sheer ridiculousness of it. “Are you okay, by the way? That fall looked rough.”

            “I’m fine,” Keith says through tight lips. “Stuff like that happens all the time in snowboarding.”

            “Okay,” Lance says, raising an eyebrow. “Don’t sweat it then. You’ve still got another run! You got this!”

            “I guess I’ll try.” Keith rubs the back of his neck. Lance shakes his head.

            “Do or do not. There is no try.”

            “Okay, _Yoda._ ” Keith snickers and Lance smiles, knowing that he’s done his job.

            “I’ll be cheering as loud as humanly possible, so listen for that,” Lance quips. “If you can’t hear me from the top of the course, I’ve failed.”

            “I’ll be listening,” Keith replies. He waves goodbye to Lance before heading back to the on deck area. You’d think he’d be more nervous about his final run now that he knows Lance is here, but it’s the opposite. He knows how much Lance genuinely wants him to succeed and more importantly how Lance understands the competition pressure that’s getting to him. Lance just seems to get him, even over the span of the strangely few days that they’ve known each other. So when it’s Keith’s turn to complete his third run, he absolutely doesn’t hold back, thinking of nothing but big air and blue eyes as he makes his way down the course.

 

…

 

            When Keith makes that final landing after a successful double cork 1080, he knows that it’s one hundred percent rock solid, maybe even a personal best for him. Snow sprays up as he skids to a stop in front of the time board, and it takes a second for Keith to take in the numbers.

            “I’m in fourth place!” He exclaims aloud to no one in particular, and the Canadians roar their approval as they see the time. Keith undoes his board and makes his way over to the spectators. Specifically, to Lance.

            “Keith that last trick you did was _insane_! It was like swoosh and then wacHA and the WacHA.” Lance gestures wildly with his hands to illustrate his point. “You gotta teach me that some time.”

            “Sure?” Keith takes off his goggles so he can look at the other boy properly. “Thanks for being here, Lance.” He pauses. “Your uhh cheering really helped.”

            “Sure thing,” Lance replies, rubbing the back of his neck. “So what do you do now that your final run is done?”

            “Well I _should_ wait and see how the rest of the snowboarders do. Just to see what happens,” Keith says. “But honestly I’m so hungry right now. I could totally go for some ice cream.”

            “Only you would want ice cream in near freezing temperatures.” Lance laughs and Keith can’t help but notice how radiant Lance is, as if the other boy is emitting sunlight.

            “Let me live,” Keith manages to fire back. “I could also definitely go for a churro, though.”

            “Do you wanna go get churros after this?” Lance hesitates. “And maybe get dinner later?”

            Lance’s words hang in the air and Keith can’t help but wonder if he’s reading them wrong.

            “Are you asking me out?” Keith blurts. He wants to take back those words as soon as they leave his mouth. _Shiro and Matt have gotten way too into my head and Lance probably doesn’t even like me and—_

            “Yes,” Lance says, and time freezes again. “Do you accept?” He stares at Keith for a moment and Keith stares back.

            “Yes,” Keith finally breathes, a smile forming on his face.

            “Then it’s a date!” Lance gives Keith a hundred megawatt smile and Keith can’t help but feel like the luckiest guy in the universe as the other boy reaches over and squeezes his hand.

 

…

 

_“And now we’re here in the studio with Lance Mcclain, the eighteen year old super star who helped Team USA earn a bronze medal in the team event for figure skating and, in a shocking upset, clinched the silver medal in the men’s individual event. Lance, how does it feel to be here, at your first Olympic games, and to already have two medals, one silver, the other bronze?”_

_“Mike the feeling is just…indescribable. In the past four years there was a period where I didn’t even think I would compete again, and now, to be able to show the world what I’ve got, and get some amazing hardware to go with it. It’s pretty awesome.”_

_“Is there anyone back home you’re thinking of as you’re delivering these incredible performances?”_

_“My whole family for sure, but especially my mom. I really only pursued figure skating beyond a hobby cause my mom always believed that I could do anything I set my mind to. She supported me through all the training, the breakdowns, the injuries. She allowed me to be able to do this thing I really, really love and to be able to share that with other people.”_

_“And now that you’ve had a chance to take in the atmosphere of the games, to represent and medal for your country, is there anything you would say to other young athletes aspiring to compete at the Olympics?”_

_“The Olympics aren’t just about medals. Yes the chance to compete for your country is amazing, but it’s so inspiring to see all the other competitors, even in other events. We’re all really pushing each other and supporting in each other as we all push what’s possible to accomplish in sport. And it’s amazing to see all of these countries coming together and having a great time as we athletes come together. This is a time in the world where seeing unity and international cooperation is so so important, and by competing in the Olympics, you’re really taking on that larger purpose. Which is amazing! And the Olympics is definitely one of the best experiences you can ever have, so go for it if you really want it! I’ve learned so much while I’ve been here and I’ve made so many great friends from other countries.”_

_“Powerful words from such a young, rising star. Coming up next, we’ll talk with other members of the US Skating Team and then it’s the final of the women’s half pipe competition, only on NBC.”_

…

           

            “Wooh!” Lance shouts as the goal buzzer resounds through the stadium. “Yeah Allura!” Keith also whoops his approval as Allura celebrates her goal with her teammates on the ice. Lance had gotten him and Keith tickets to see the US play Finland in the hockey semi-final and Keith is absolutely loving the amped up atmosphere. He hasn’t had the chance to see any of the hockey at these games, so it’s great to finally see some action. It doesn’t hurt that he’s doing it with Lance, either.

            He and Lance have been spending an awful lot of their downtime together, and they’ve watched each other compete more than a few times at this point. Seeing Lance’s smiling face after a hard run will never get old, Keith has decided. But despite all of the laughs, adventures, and even some occasional handholding, they haven’t really had the ‘what are we’ discussion. Matt told Keith that he doesn’t have to ‘rush’ to put a label on their relationship, but Keith thinks Matt is probably bullshitting, given how single Matt is. Keith loves being with Lance; there’s no question about that. But the fact is in less than a week, the games will be over. And there’s no telling when or if he’ll see Lance again if they don’t talk about it. And Keith doesn’t even want to imagine that happening.

            “Man we are absolutely killing it!” Lance declares, breaking Keith out of his thoughts. Keith nods, and takes a moment to just look at the other boy. Lance is rocking glittery red, white, and blue stripes on his cheeks and a Team USA beanie that only adds to his cuteness factor. Keith forgets about labels.

            “Totally! Allura is incredible!”

            “There’s a reason she’s captain,” Lance replies. “Oh hey, Coran!” Keith turns around and sees Lance’s skating coach, coming down the seat aisle towards them.

            “Lance!” Coran’s thick Australian accent catches Keith off guard, and he tries to school his face into a look of composure. “Enjoying the game?”

            “You bet!” Lance whistles. “Coran is Allura’s uncle,” Lance explains to Keith. “so he comes to almost all of her games.”

            “And who’s this you’re with, Lance?” Coran asks.

            “This is Keith.” Lance freezes. “My uh…friend.”

            “I compete for Canada,” Keith adds, pretending that Lance calling him a ‘friend’ doesn’t sting.

            “Hmm. You seem like a nice lad, Keith,” Coran says. “But _when,_ not if, but _when_ we beat Canada in the gold medal hockey match, I must warn you that I will _not_ be gracious.”

            “I’ll bear that in mind,” Keith replies, slightly dazed.

            “Well it was nice seeing you two! I’ll be back off to my seat now.” As Coran walks away, a strange new tension settles between Keith and Lance, something they’ve never felt around each other before. Keith doesn’t want to act like Lance owes him anything. The unfortunate fact is that Keith _is_ just Lance’s friend. They’ve never defined their casual touches and shared smiles beyond that. On one hand Keith feels like he doesn’t have a right to be hurt, but on the other hand there’s so much pain in his heart right now, he’d almost rather take a nasty fall on the half pipe. At least then you can just get up like nothing’s happened.

 

…

 

            Keith tries to act normal for the rest of the game, but his heart isn’t in it. There’s a half assed nature to his cheering now that has nothing to do with the quality of the hockey being played. Lance picks up on this, and also isn’t shouting “U.S.A.” with his usual gusto. He’s looking at Keith, and Keith’s gaze is firmly glued to the ice. Lance checks the clock and the scoreboard one last time before coming to a decision.

            “Keith?” Lance’s voice is soft, but determined, and forces Keith to look at him. “You wanna get out of here?”

            “The game isn’t over,” Keith says flatly.

            “We’re up five nothing, and I don’t think Finland is gonna magically score five goals in the last ten minutes of the third period.” Lance chews his lip as Keith stays silent.

            “Okay,” Keith says. “We can leave.” Lance takes a breath of relief as Keith starts getting up and putting his Team Canada jacket back on. Lance feels like he’s fucked up. Scratch that, he knows he fucked up during that conversation with Coran. Keith’s clearly unhappy with him, and that’s the absolute last thing Lance wants as the games are beginning to wind down. He wants to keep in touch with Keith. He wants to do that as more than friends. He knows this without a shadow of a doubt. But it’s matter of broaching that topic with Keith. And, as they walk to the bus stop in stony silence, Lance can’t help but wonder if he’s managed to end that conversation before they’ve even had a chance to have it.

            Keith’s icy demeanor melts a little bit on the bus ride back to the village, but Lance knows that he still really has to get it together if he wants things to go back to normal.

            “Do you wanna come over to the US house? I was thinking of making some hot coco.” Lance makes intense eye contact with Keith, trying to non-verbally communicate ‘ _please let me make this up to you.’_ Keith manages a curt nod, and Lance takes it as a resounding victory. He still has to come up with an actual plan for talking to Keith however, and unfortunately only realizes this once they’ve already entered the US house kitchenette. There’s a dozen things that Lance needs to say, but the thing that keeps coming into his mind is ‘ _I don’t want to lose you.’_ That really encompasses his fears about Keith right now. He never expected to meet someone like Keith before the Olympics began, and now Lance can’t separate his triumph in competition from his memories of the dark haired boy currently not speaking to him. He cannot, will not, let Keith go without trying his absolute damnedest. So Lance takes a deep breath to speak. But someone beats him to it.

            “Lance I—”

            “Keith I—”

            They both freeze. This is the moment where they would normally laugh at themselves. But there is just quiet.

            “I’m sorry,” Lance says, ducking his head. “You go first.”

            “Okay.” Keith’s brow furrows. “Dude what is your deal?” Of all the things Lance had expected to come out of Keith’s mouth, that had not been one of them.

            “My deal?” Lance asks, dumbfounded.

            “I mean with us,” Keith clarifies. “You and me. What does that mean to you?” Lance prepares to speak but Keith doesn’t even give him the opportunity. “Because I thought we were, you know, a ‘thing.’ You asked me out on a date! We’ve been on dates! But then you’re talking about all the ‘friends’ you made at the Olympics and you told Coran I was your ‘uh Friend.’ What am I supposed to get from that?”

            “I’m sorry, okay!” Lance’s eyes widen when he realizes how much he’s raised his voice. “I’m sorry,” he says again, much more quietly. He tentatively reaches out a hand, which Keith regards for a moment before taking in his own. “I like you a lot, Keith,” Lance breathes. “You have no idea how happy you make me feel when I’m around you. Your laugh, your smile, your snarky comments. Seeing you in the audience, cheering me on when I compete, makes me feel like I’m on top of the world.”

            “I didn’t know.” Keith’s voice is a soft awe and he starts rubbing circles into Lance’s hand with his thumb. “You make me feel the same way.”

            “ Really?” Lance feels his heart skip a beat when Keith nods.

            “I wanted to ask you to be my boyfriend before closing ceremonies, but Matt told me I shouldn’t rush into labels,” Keith admits.

            “Matt’s an idiot.”

            “I know, right?” Keith and Lance both laugh at that.

            “Keith,” Lance begins. “I want to keep in touch with you, to keep seeing you, after this all ends. Even if it won’t be easy, I want to try. I wouldn’t forgive myself if I didn’t at least try.” Keith has to blink back the tears unwittingly welling in his eyes as he takes in Lance’s words.

            “So you want us to be boyfriends?” Keith clarifies one last time. Lance takes his free hand and uses it to cup Keith’s cheek.

            “Keith Kogane, if you would do me the honor of becoming my boyfriend, I would be the luckiest guy in the world.”

            “You’re a total sap,” Keith says, eyes full of warmth. “But I’d expect nothing less from my beautiful boyfriend.” Lance’s breath hitches and not more than a moment later is he leaning in, bringing their lips together for a triumphant kiss. Keith’s lips are slightly chapped but warm and insistent, and Lance feels his head spinning from all the electricity passing between them. He moves his hand from Keith’s cheek to the back of Keith’s neck so he can deepen the kiss and Lance can’t help but let out a small moan as they continue to explore each other’s lips. This is the kiss Lance had been waiting for, even if he didn’t know it. It’s fireworks and adventure and coming home all at once and it’s unlike anything Lance has ever felt before. It’s soft yet passionate, and says everything else left unspoken between them in a way that makes Lance’s knees weak.

            He doesn’t want to stop kissing Keith for a little while longer, but a bumping noise from down the hall causes them to break apart, suddenly aware of the very public kitchenette they’re currently in.

           “I could get used to that,” Keith says.

           “Agreed.” Lance puts his hands so they rest loosely on Keith’s waist. “It’s getting late. I should probably walk you back to Canada house.”

           “I could just uh stay in your room.” Keith’s attempt to be coy is absolutely charming, but Lance has to shake his head.

           “No way. Your brother would _absolutely_ kill me and I don't plan on dying young.”

           “You’re probably right.” Keith laughs. “Back to Canada house it is.”

            And as they walk through the village, even in the freezing wind and snow, Keith can’t help but feel a permeating warmth all throughout his body as Lance holds his hand, leading him through the night.

           

…

_“And now as we lead up to the Olympics closing ceremony coverage, we’ll continue to take you around some highlights of Team USA, who have been absolutely phenomenal this winter Olympic games with 24 medals overall, 10 of those gold.”_

_“Right Tara, and one of those golds, of course, is the one earned by the US women’s hockey team after an emotional win in a shoot out against Canada.”_

_/replay of the team’s post win celebration on the ice flashes across the screen/_

_“And of course, Mike, let’s not forget the amazing finishes from the entire US figure skating team, including a bronze in the team event and Lance Mcclain’s silver medal in the men’s individual event.”_

_“Lance’s skating prowess has been turning heads all throughout these games, but so has his social media, where he’s kept the world updated on what it’s ‘really’ like in the Olympic village and how Team USA relaxes when they’re not competing.”_

_/a series of photos taken from Lance’s Instagram including makeovers with Allura, climbing the Olympic rings with Pidge, and foosball with Hunk flash across the screen/_

_“And I think I speak for everyone when I say that this particular photo totally stole our hearts. We’ll leave you with this and we’ll be right back, with even more highlights from around the games as the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics comes to close.”_

_/a single photo taken from Lance’s Instagram is on the screen. it’s a selfie of him and Keith in the Olympic park, with all of the flags behind them. Lance is kissing Keith on the cheek and Keith has the brightest smile on his face. The caption reads “got two medals and a boyfriend. not bad for my first Olympics <3”/_

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading this! I really really love the Olympics but I’ve never written an Olympics au before and this was so much fun to write. For the ‘research’ I did on the Olympic village etc. I used a lot of buzzfeed articles so again, apologies for any incorrect details. Find me on tumblr @polaroidpidge 
> 
> On Lance’s performance: The outfit Lance is wearing during his short program is based off the blue sparkly one Adam Rippon wore. The song Lance skates to is The Greatest by Sia. I also took elements of Nathan Chen’s style of skating and gave them to Lance so if you notice that similarity, it’s totes intentional.
> 
> On the title: Inspired by the Coldplay song Paradise, which the Shibsibs used as one of their program songs. 
> 
> Random fact: The jelly cubes that Lance likes are made from the omija fruit. Omija jelly is super tasty Korean dessert so that’s why I picked it. Idk if they actually serve it at the buffet in Pyeongchang but it is absolutely delicious, I can confirm.


End file.
